You say you want a revolution?

March 2025 

I really love music. Anyone acquainted with me, or my writing, is aware of this. Listening to music has always been a huge part of my life. It is one of the true joys of living and a great way to connect with the past.  However, my current approach to listening to music has significantly evolved from how I previously connected with it. Today I was pondering this.  As I did so, I realized that if you are over 50 years old, how you listen to music has likely gone through an interesting progression. I know it has for me!  Nowadays, with streaming music booming and radio seeming to fade, I decided to do some detective work to see how we got to this point. It was a very educational and revealing investigation.

Today, and for some time now, music is something we all “consume” on a daily basis. Whether you are watching TV, at a theater, in the car, at a store, in a park, sitting in a restaurant, or even in an elevator, you are likely being exposed to some type of music. We often get a tune stuck in our heads and hear it internally. Sometimes all day long! Often, we may wish we could make it stop!   So, music genuinely is everywhere, and we often don’t even realize it.  Many of us, in fact most of us, intentionally listen. We tailor our experience to the types of music we enjoy.  Others just passively listen, allowing it to provide a background soundtrack for their lives.  Many, without even realizing it.  I think it is fairly safe to say that music is a part of everyday life for people all over the world and it has been for a very long time.

Like almost everything else, music itself has evolved, and the popularity of different genres and musical styles has changed dramatically over time. This is very natural.  Along with these changes, the way we access music has developed and changed as well. But considerably so in the last 100 years.  Technological advances have dramatically altered how we are exposed to music. It’s actually fun to think about this. When you do, you begin to see just how far we have come.  Especially when you consider where it all began.

Music likely originated from the earliest groups of our species.  They certainly used clapping, drumming, whistling and singing to create it. No one is certain when instruments came about, but it can be stated with confidence that it was very early in human development.  Regardless, for thousands of years, live performances would be the only way music could be heard. The music box, invented in the 1770’s, seems to be the first method of reproducing musical sounds.

Around one hundred years later, in 1877, the phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison. Its original purpose was not for music at all, but as the next generation of the telegraph.  The ability to record and replay music was an unintended consequence of this experiment. Edison tested his invention by singing a nursery rhyme and listening to its playback. The problem was that the recording was only good for one or two replays before it degraded beyond recognition.  Regardless, this was the start of the musical revolution of which we are now all a part.

Soon after came a device called the graphophone. It used wax cylinders which could be played back many times. However, each cylinder had to be recorded separately, making the mass reproduction of the same music or sounds essentially impossible.  But this was soon followed by the gramophone, invented by Emile Berliner. It was the first device to stop recording on cylinders and start recording on flat disks or records.  That’s truly where the revolution began.

The first records used by the gramophone were made of glass. It was a flat plate that had a spiral groove with sound information etched into it.  The plate was rotated on the gramophone. The "arm" of the gramophone used a needle to read the grooves in the record and the vibrations of the needle made the sound. Not too dissimilar to the music box invented a century earlier!  It also had to be wound up to use, as electricity was not yet readily available. These machines were scarce and only a limited number of people used them for music. Once again, the quality was poor, but the seed idea was there.  It was just awaiting a little technical advancement before the real revolution would take off.

At the turn of the 20^th century, as the commercial development of the phonograph was slowly progressing, something new arrived and changed the way we listened to music forever. The magic of radio.  Like Edison’s phonograph, radio was being investigated as an alternative to the telegraph. The military was its most ardent user and supporter of its development. But it quickly found a much broader level of appeal.  The early 20th century showcased the rapid commercialization of radio as a means of listening to music. But it truly provided accessible communication to the masses for a variety of information dissemination and entertainment.

Radio stations began broadcasting in the 1920s, allowing families to listen to music, news, and entertainment right from their living rooms. By 1922, there were 600 radio stations around the United States. By the mid 1930’s more than 60% of American families had purchased a radio. With this, the broad appeal of listening to music at home was born. Regardless, as throughout the rest of history, the music that was being broadcast and heard was still being performed live. 

By the late 1930s, radio had become an essential part of everyday life. The phonograph was also now in wide use, as it had advanced to the point of being both reliable and affordable.  Many homes had them and nearly all radio stations did.  This allowed curated music programs, introducing new artists and genres to the public. Best of all, radio created a shared experience, bringing communities together around the same songs or programs at the same time. And best of all, it was free.  At least once you owned a unit. 

The quality of what people listened to was quite dependent on many factors but was generally poor by today’s standards.  However, the 1960s and especially the 1970’s showcased the rise of FM radio, which offered better sound quality compared to AM broadcasts and allowed for more music-driven programming. FM radio quickly became the go-to for music enthusiasts, while AM stations focused more on talk radio and news. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

In the 1950’s, LP records were becoming extremely popular, as were singles, often called 45’s. If you are unfamiliar with the monikers 33, 45 and 78, these numerals were an indication of the speed at which they were played on the turntable.  78 RPM records were once the only game in town. They whirled so fast it made you dizzy to watch them play. And, at my house anyway, they seemed to play only music I considered ancient.  These 78’s spun out Rag time tunes as well as older dance music like the Fox Trot.  All of which are styles etched in the memory of my youth. But record prices were becoming more affordable and the quality much improved.  With better records as well as units to play them on.  So the world moved away from 78 RPMs.

By the 1950’s and 60’s, records allowed you to play virtually any commercially released music. And there were more of them being released every day.  At my house, in the late 1960’s, we had a big console stereo in our living room.  It was essentially a piece of furniture.  It housed the radio, the speakers and the turntable.  When my brother and I were only 4 and 6 years old respectively, we used to stand on a ledge at its base so we could watch the records spin.  And they always seemed to be spinning!  We played a lot of different music at our house.  Likely the foundation for my own love of music.

With the development of records as a musical media, record stores started to grow in popularity.  And by my early teens I started to spend too much of my minimal disposable income on albums and singles. Much to my parents’ chagrin.  So not only was music listening changing, so was people’s buying behavior.  Especially mine! 

But music started to be heard everywhere.  All cars had radios.  Restaurants had juke boxes or PA systems piping in music from local radio stations.  I can still remember sitting in a diner with my family and being allowed to choose a song from the jukebox.  I thought that this was the coolest thing! And it only cost a dime.  Regardless of where we listened to it, we were still dependent on a spinning record and a needle to provide the music.

The future of music consumption changed forever with the introduction of music on tape. Specifically, within a tape cartridge. Before this cartridge, magnetic tape existed but wasn't a realistic option for home use.  Reel-to-reel players were required, and they were too cumbersome and complicated for consumers.  Especially compared to record players, which had been the standard for home listening for several decades and were going to be difficult to replace. Regardless, they were about to be. By the 8-Track tape.

By 1970, all of Ford's cars were offered with an available 8-track player as an upgrade.  This was in response to the hundreds of tapes being released in that mobile format. The catalogue of these soon rivaled that of vinyl. The music industry must have loved it, as they only had to re-release old music in a different format.  And we consumers were quick to go out and buy the new design.  Especially me. In spite of the oddity of having the tapes switch tracks in the middle of songs.  Something I can still hear in my head as those same songs play on the radio today.  Regardless, I was quickly replacing my vinyl, spending money I certainly couldn’t afford to spend. And to top it all off, the 8 track’s popularity was only short lived. They were quickly replaced by the next technological innovation. The cassette tape.  If I had only known!

Cassette tapes were quick to catch on.  They were smaller and more versatile, with the ability to rewind and fast forward.  They also gained traction as they offered the ability to record. So many of us took advantage of this and it became quite common for people to record songs they heard on the radio. This was a bit of a precursor to the music “pirating” that would occur not too many years later. 

In 1979, with the advent of the Sony Walkman, cassettes were bonded into our cultural mechanics.  This tiny gadget dominated the 1980s, offering the ability to listen to music anytime, while doing almost anything. It featured 2 ear buds and terrific sound. The Walkman fundamentally changed how people listened to music, literally forever.  Fueled by this, in 1983 cassettes outsold vinyl for the first time. Yes, my wallet was lightened yet again, and my 8 tracks were quickly discarded!  Little did we know that technology would again intervene and change the way we listened to music and spent our money.  But first came a way not only to listen, but to see our favorite artists.  And all you needed was a TV.  And everyone had one of those.

There had been music on television for decades.  Musical variety shows were extremely popular, especially when there were only 3 or 4 channels offered.  But with the advent of cable TV, the world changed, and channels could be more specifically targeted.  Think about CNN and ESPN for example.  Of course, today there are nearly an infinite number of permutations of this concept. But in August of 1981, MTV launched as a channel dedicated to music videos and musical programing.  And for a while we couldn’t get enough of it. MTV both captured and created the spirit of teenage and young adult culture. And for nearly two decades, audiences relied on MTV as a gateway to new music and fashion. Its impact on music deserves its own ponder.  Its influence on my generation was immeasurable.  I will leave it at that.

Compact disks, or CDs, came out in the 1980s almost at the same time as the Walkman and MTV. But they took a minute to catch on.  Things may have been moving a bit too fast for something new. Or att least something new you had to buy!  Since the early 1970’s, several companies had been trying out the idea of the CD as a replacement for tapes. In 1982, several of these companies came forward and developed Compact Discs together. With the advances in the disc itself, Sony launched the first ever compact disc player that year.

CDs brought consumers the best music ever released in terms of affordable, high-quality audio.  They were also lightweight, easily storable, and highly durable. With all of that, it didn’t take long before CDs started to outsell cassettes. Meanwhile, LP’s continued to languish in the background, with only a few holdout audiophiles still clinging to the antiquated technology. To this day, some people contend that they still sounded better!

The reason that CDs were a major steppingstone forward was that the digital technology used was the beginning of the end for physical formats of music. With the invention of the internet and finally MP3’s, the need for CDs slowly faded. But we must give CDs credit.  They ruled the market for several decades. And once again I had to replace so many records, 8 Tracks, and cassettes that I had already purchased.  I can’t fathom how much money I invested in these different mediums.  I am sure there are a great many of us that did the same, exact thing. And of course, MP3’s and digital tech were about to, yet again, change how we listened to music.

Though MP3s were developed by 1980, they didn’t even start to have a mainstream following until around 1992.  Then they just exploded. Essentially, MP3s are computer files that store sounds in numerical form. They were a technology just waiting for a delivery method. In 2001, the iPod arrived.  Another revolutionary technology that changed the way we listen to music. Again, likely forever.  The iPod was the Walkman of this era. It was the first listening device where you could upload songs digitally, storing dozens or even hundreds in one sitting.

There were other companies with similar devices, but Apple dominated in this new market. They released the iPod Touch in 2007, and it was the first music device to use a new tool called Wi-Fi, so users could connect to the iTunes Store and download tunes and listen to them right away. Something many of us dreamt about but never imagined we would live to see it.

As music entered the digital realm, it also became even more transportable.  Digital download and sharing applications came quickly to the forefront.  Napster, Limewire, Kazaa and others quickly became a method for people to “share” music.  Which to the music industry meant steal.  I certainly partook in the trend, filling my library full of music “borrowed” from others.  I’ll never forget, watching people in my own music library, downloading my tunes.  My digital music library went from hundreds of songs to thousands of songs very quickly.  I thought I had really scored!  Finally getting something for free!

However, after a couple years of not taking notice, the music industry, including the musicians themselves, brought forward lawsuits claiming piracy and copyright infringement. Issues that started to fracture the music industry. But these services had served a purpose.  Even with their short existence their activity paved the way for the digital forms available today.

Within all of this change, radio had also evolved. By the 1990s and early 2000s, new technologies emerged that began to challenge traditional station-based formats. Satellite radio, introduced by companies like Sirius or XM, offered a subscription-based model that brought hundreds of channels directly to listeners, featuring everything from sports and talk shows to niche music genres.  Even channels dedicated to specific artists. This was a major shift from traditional radio, as it gave listeners access to highly specific content without being tied to the geographic constraints of typical AM or FM stations. I could drive in my car from Michigan to Florida and listen to the same station all the way.  And I would not hear a single commercial!

Although satellite radio still exists, the rise of online radio and streaming services marked the beginning of a new era in music consumption.  One that features personalization and on-demand access. Listeners can browse and select what they want to listen to. Services like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music allow people to download music, create playlists, and replay their favorite songs with just a click. For an annual fee of course! Providing instant access to millions of songs from any device with an internet connection.  Spotify, in particular, has championed the playlist model, where users can either create their own collections or browse through curated playlists tailored to their moods, activities, or specific genres. Spotify uses complex algorithms to introduce users to new music based on their tastes, making it one of the most powerful tools for music discovery today.

So, this brings us to the present.  And, sadly enough, seems to be where I’m getting off music listening’s evolutionary train.  I am at present, quite content with Satellite radio and my Apple playlists created from my own music collection.  I have over ten thousand songs on my iPhone and dozens of playlists.  Why would I need anything else?  But who really knows what the future holds?  For me and for music.  I am certain that more transformations are coming.  Which makes me a little nervous, as I am old and don’t like a lot of change. But it sure is fun looking back!  Especially when you consider the fact that most people that listen to music now are young and have only experienced the later stages of this revolution.

Whether it is remembering the first album bought with my own money, cranking up that amazing stereo I had in my first car, or being amazed by my first i-Pod, I have seemingly endless memories that have become associated with the different systems of listening to music.  Music that has been a part of my own evolution, from childhood to the senior citizen I am now. Understanding the revolution that has happened within music listening transports me, and brings back some amazing stories. It never ceases to amaze me how many memories are linked to songs. And the places that I first heard them.  Clearly, live music is irreplaceable, but reliving memories tied to specific songs, places, and people can often be just as powerful. Music is amazing!

As we look to the future of how we listen, it’s clear that it will continue to change.  LPs are making a comeback by the way! No matter what we do, it seems the past and the future often merge and coexist, generally complementing one another.  At 62, I have been blessed to live through so much change. From records to tapes, from MTV to CDs, and eventually to digital formats, with radio consistently serving as my fundamental listening platform. But I frequently think about my parents and grandparents. They existed through the golden age of radio; the evolution of records and record players and I am certain they would be baffled by today’s streaming platforms or the need for personalized playlists.

Music consumption has undergone a remarkable revolution. Each stage of this journey has changed how we listen to music and access it. But it hasn’t changed our love for it.  It has given us different modes of listening that have altered the experience, but not our passion for the way music makes us feel, or dream.  What started as a communal activity has become highly personalized. Often less shared but still one that shapes who we are and how we enjoy life. Something that I hope will never change.